Category: Dogs

Wanderings!

A Victorian Dog Story

Here’s a very delightful guest post coming up. But first to my introduction.

Whatever one feels about London, the city of my birth (Acton; North-West London, to be more precise), there’s no denying that it has some glorious parks.

One of those wonderful parks is Kensington Gardens that is located not that far from the Royal Albert Hall. Or as Wikipedia puts it:

Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are one of the Royal Parks of London, lying immediately to the west of Hyde Park.

So keep that image in your mind as we turn to today’s guest post.

ooOOoo

A Victorian Dog Story

If you are ever in the UK, wander through Kensington Gardens (past the palace where Princess Diana resided) and go Northeast, behind Victoria Lodge; you will find a pet cemetery. Mentioned by Peter Pan author, J.M. Barrie, in his work The Little White Bird, over 200 dogs, cats and birds have been laid to rest here. All of its inhabitants were once beloved pets.

The cemetery was started by the lodge keeper around 1881; the first dog to be buried in Kensington was her “Cherry”, a Maltese terrier who died of old age. The second dog was “Prince”, once belonging to the Duke of Cambridge (no relation to the present Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton!). Struck by a carriage, this dog’s simple gravestone reads: “Poor Prince.” Though the cemetery is no longer active, contemporary guests can take pictures of the tiny tombstones and read such sentiments as “Maudie, An Old Friend”, “Darling Dolly My Sunbeam, My Consolation”; and “In Loving Memory of Our Faithful Little Friend Wobbles.”

Keeping dogs as pets gained popularity in the 19th century. As sanitation conditions started to be regulated, animals such as pigs, cows and sheep were banned from the streets. So dogs that were once kept outside were now invited by the fire. The dog changed from being a worker to being a member of the family. In 1837 there were about 140 dog nappers; they stole lap dogs from the wealthy and charged hefty ransoms for their return. A Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs opened in 1860; ultimately this became The Battersea Dogs Home, where strays could be adopted. For more information on the Victorian cult of the dog, I would recommend At Home and Astray by Philip Howell. Meanwhile, if you are searching for a name for your new pet puppy, you might want to consider Dandie, Dash or Eos, pronounced ee-oohs–if they were good enough for Queen Victoria’s pooches, they may be good enough for yours!

ooOOoo

Let me close with the words of the author: Annabelle Troy

An American who loves UK culture, I alternate my time between New York City and London. I’m the author of four books available on Amazon: Jane Eyre Gets Real, A Cure for Cecily, The Grace of the Hunchback, and Hansel and Gretel Inside the House of Candy. Inspiration comes to me through literature, history and magic.

Here’s the cover of that first-named book.

I don’t know about Jane Eyre but Annabelle Troy comes over as real enough!

CBD Hemp Oil outcomes.

Really good news now that it’s well over a month since our two dogs have been taking this oil.

First off, I want to republish in full a post first shared with you all on the 19th September.

ooOOoo

Just wanted to share our early results with you.

Back on the 13th September, I published a post under the title of Listening to our pets in more difficult times. I mentioned that Pharaoh was suffering pain in his rear hip joints and struggling at times to get up on all four feet and that we had started giving him Rimadyl.

One of the subsequent comments was from Pets, People, And Life who wrote:

Don’t wait around for a vet to tell you that your dog is in pain. You live in a state with legal MJ plus hemp oil is legal in all 50 states. I give CBD oil to my BC X Aussie 12 year old dog. He could not get up and yelped in pain before I began giving him 0.7ml daily that I drizzle over his food., After second dose he could stand up without help. Now he walks and runs with fluid movements of all limbs. It is totally safe and doesn’t require expensive tests, The danger of Rimadyl and other meds in that class used to treat arthritis, is that these types of meds cause kidney damage and your pet will have a shortened life span. Hemp oil works like a charm with no side effects.

We did some research and came across the following brand of Hemp (CBD) Oil specifically for dogs. We ordered it and it arrived last Saturday. Jean did not delay in adding* it twice a day to the food for both Pharaoh and Paloma.

Here we are at the end of Tuesday, at the time of writing this post, and already we can see observable improvements in both dogs.

Yes, it’s early days but I wanted to share this with you now.

There will be a more extensive report from me once these dogs have been using the oil for a few weeks.

One dropperful twice a day for Pharaoh, approx. 105 lbs, and half a dropperful twice a day for Paloma, approx. 45 lbs.

ooOOoo

Yesterday, as in Sunday 23rd, as per usual I let the ‘bedroom’ group of dogs out around 7am when I went down to clear out the stables. Usually Pharaoh comes away from the front door and ends up laying down on the area just outside the garage door.

But on this day he decided to trot down to the stables and join the others, mainly Brandy, Cleo and Oliver, in sniffing around after the horses and eating fresh horse dung. (Don’t ask me why our dogs find it so tasty!)

It was so lovely to see Pharaoh, who will be 13 1/2 years-old on December 3rd., still being able to walk around the property when he is in the mood.

Frankly, Jean and I are amazed at how well he is doing and how the hip displasia has not yet defeated him. We are certain that the CBD Hemp oil is a key factor.

Later that morning I took a couple of photographs to support my claim that he is still walking around, albeit somewhat stiffly first thing in the day.

Cleo watching Pharaoh come away from the house.

A shot taken of Pharaoh walking past me.

Dear old Pharaoh!

November writing alert!

Normal service may not be possible for the next few weeks!

As many of you know last December I published my first book Learning from Dogs.

That book had been the result of me getting my head down in the Novembers of 2013 and 2014. Why November? Because that is the month of NaNoWriMo, or to use the long-form: National Novel Writing Month.

Having brought book number one the light of the day, it was only natural that my mind started to turn to a sequel. At first, I thought of another book about dogs; perhaps Learning About Dogs? But for a variety of reasons I just couldn’t get started and it all came to a head last Wednesday during one of our regular group cycle rides. As follows:

Jim Goodbrod, he who wrote the foreword to my first book, asked how book number two was coming along.
“Oh Jim,” I replied, “I have left it far too late to contact the many academics that I have come across, to seek permission to quote their works and to find out if they have more scientific information of potential interest.”
“I have this terrible feeling that I’m setting myself up to fail!”

Jim then opened a wonderful window for me; metaphorically speaking. But before describing what Jim went on to say I should explain to you, dear reader, the connection between Jim and Janet, his wife, and Jean and me. Jim and Janet live about half-a-mile from us in Merlin, Southern Oregon, and right from the moment when we moved into our home back in 2012 they have been very good friends indeed. That friendship built upon Jim and Janet sharing very many similar outlooks on life to Jeannie and me. Plus Jim is a professional veterinarian doctor at a vet’s practice in Grants Pass, our local town some 12 miles from home, but has frequently given us advice ‘out of hours’ when one of our pets at home has gone down with something beyond Jean’s extensive experience.
So the four of us have spent much time together socially and I am embarrassed to admit that quite a few of my stories from past years have been told by me.

Back to that conversation during that bike ride. “Paul, Janet and I were only saying the other day that we would really love to see your next book being something autobiographical. You have had so many interesting experiences in so many parts of the world that we truly believe that they would be of interest to many others.”

It felt slightly uncomfortable to hear that. Uncomfortable in the sense that immediately responding by saying what a good idea that was carried too much egotism, was too self-indulgent. But at the same time I knew that Jim and Janet would offer a genuine recommendation and that it would most certainly get me out of my present difficult situation. I thanked Jim profusely. Jim then went on the describe the style that he and Janet would enjoy: “Janet and I have long loved reading books where each chapter was a self-contained story. In other words, a book that one could pick up and dip into and still feel that it was a good read.”

When I returned home and spoke about this to Jeannie she immediately said that it was something that she had been urging me to consider. An hour later I was speaking on the phone to my sister Eleanor and she, too, encouraged me to go down this route.

So that’s how it has come about that book number two is going to be semi-autobiographical, and it already has a name: Four Dogs On My Bed.

Or as the byline reads: On Life; On Love; and On Dogs.

All of which is a rather wordy way of saying that from now until the end of November my first priority is going to be book writing. How that will impact my attention to this blog and all you wonderful readers is uncertain. But if you see a string of re-posts from earlier times, if I don’t provide the most fulsome introduction to a guest author that they deserve, if my replies to comments are not as quick as I normally try to be, then you will know the reason why.

Thank you!

Picture Parade One Hundred and Sixty-Nine

The final set of these wonderful law and order pictures.

(Set One is here and Set Two here.)

oooo

That is, indeed, the end of the shift of these three week’s worth of pictures. Thank you, Dan!

English as she is spoken!

Difficult to avoid the irony!

(Of an Englishman helping Americans to ‘Ramp Up Their English’! 😉

Good followers of this place will recall that in March I published a ‘thank-you’ piece showing my appreciation for Rogue Valley TV and John Letz. Here’s how I opened that post:

Huge thank you to Producer John Letz and the whole crew.

A week ago last Saturday Jean and I travelled down to Ashland and to the studios of Rogue Valley Community Television (RVTV). This is how RVTV describe themselves:

Based at the Southern Oregon Digital Media Center, RVTV provides access television and streaming media services for the citizens and local governments of Jackson and Josephine Counties. Please visit rvtv.sou.edu for more information.

John Letz, the Producer for Adventures in Education and Ramping Up your English, had read my book and thought it might make a good programme.

Anyway, leaving the irony to one side, John recently sent me a link to the 30-minute episode that is included below.

To be honest if you are comfortable with your English then I strongly recommend that you skip this video unless you can’t live another minute without peeking into the Handover household and our dogs.

Mind you, even if you want to skip the video I can’t let you get away entirely Scot free. For at the 3:30 minute mark in the video John sets out the definition of pet:

PET: A dependent animal with a close emotional connection to the pet-owner.

I wonder if John had this in mind (photos taken yesterday morning in our bedroom):

oooo

Please give all your dogs out there a big hug! Now! 🙂

It is never boring with our wonderful dogs.

Settle down and enjoy this ten-minute video.

Huge thanks to Suzann.

Because Jean and I were out from 9am through to well after 2pm and I had a string of things to do including writing today’s post.

But there in my email inbox was a greeting from Su and a link to the following:

Enjoy! (Guaranteed that you will; by the way!)

Give your dogs a wonderful hug from us here in Oregon!

Taking a holiday with your loved one!

(That’s your loved pet in case you wondered where I was coming from 😉 )

I have only ever flown once with a pet. That was back in 2008 when I flew one-way from London to Los Angeles on a British Airways flight when coming to live with Jeannie. Yes, I was alone in the cabin but I was not alone in the aircraft. For in a special part of the hold devoted to carrying animals rode Pharaoh.

I will never forget that day when I had to travel to the unit at London Heathrow Airport where dogs, and other pets, were dropped off about an hour before I was due to check-in to the same flight.

For this reason.

Every other time that Pharaoh had been left by me at the kennels when I was going away on business, or some other journey, Pharaoh had always barked in sadness at being left. I always got back in my car feeling a traitor for having something to go to that didn’t involve dogs.

So in this instance I was fully expecting Pharaoh to really sound out how unhappy he was at being left. For it was a very unfamiliar place on an unfamiliar airfield and he was being ‘processed’ in a manner that he had never experienced before.

So the time came that the attendant had Pharaoh in the flight cage and I had to turn my back and walk out of the area where some thirty minutes before Pharaoh and I had entered. I was expecting terrible sad howls. But not a single sound came from Pharaoh. To this day I like to think that he knew that he and I were on our way to the greatest and most wonderful life-changing event of our whole lives. Going to live with Jeannie and all her animals!

OK! Got that off my chest!

I love guest posts for all sorts of reasons but most importantly of all because you dear readers also like guest posts.

I was approached by Brenda Leary with her offer of writing a guest post for Learning from Dogs. She gave me a choice from a number of essay titles and, as you might expect from my introduction, I chose an article from Brenda about flying with your pet.

Enjoy!

ooOOoo

Tips to Flying With your Dog

Flying With Your Pet Made Easier

Jetting out for a well-deserved vacation? If you plan to go with your furry friend, we have great news for you. While traveling with pets may evoke tension and constant hair pulling, find out how to travel with a dog on a plane with these excellent tips.

Select the airline

Not all airlines allow their passengers to travel with their pets. The first step is identifying pet-friendly airlines and their pet limit. Once you get an affirmative answer, make the reservations immediately before you lose the seat.

Obviously, you cannot have your dog sit a few rows behind or in front of you; make sure to book two seats adjacent to each other. Depending on the airlines you choose, you could fork up to $100 for a one-way trip.

Compare different rates from various carriers and select the most affordable one. Alternatively, leave your pet with a sitter or a family member while you vacation.

Health checks

Similar to humans, pets need a full medical check- up before boarding a flight. Make an appointment with your veterinarian at least ten days before the trip. Have your dog vaccinated and give him any extra shots that he needs.

Obtain a health certificate and be sure to bring it to the check-in counter. Your vet will suggest packing a first aid kit with gauze and pet medications in case of emergencies. If you are traveling overseas, investigate the health care requirements of your destination.

Buy a dog carrier

When traveling with your pet, you need to keep him as comfortable as you possibly can to calm his nerves long enough until you land. Find a carrier that is spacious enough, so your dog or cat has some wiggle room to stretch during the flight.

The recommended size of a pet carrier is sixteen to nineteen inches long, and ten inches tall. Test out your carrier days before the trip and observe how your puppy behaves when he is locked in. If he shows signs of anxiety, try a different carrier until you find one that pleases him. If your dog weighs more than fifteen pounds, the airline will advise that he travels in a hard-sided kennel in the plane’s stowaway.

Pack wisely

When traveling with your kids or alone, packing is a crucial step that can make all the difference between a smooth or long flight. Similarly, pets behave like children and we gladly oblige and treat them as so.

Bring your pet’s favorite toys to keep him entertained (read: distracted), during the flight. You cannot underestimate the power of a dog bone on a trans-Atlantic flight! Airlines do not provide in-flight menus for pets. Pack enough food and water to last the duration of the trip.

Remember, traveling with your puppy counts as a carry on which leaves you with one carry on. Put your creatures of comfort in your bag and utilize the space on the pet carrier such as side pockets.

Arrive early

If you are traveling alone, you can expedite the check-in process by using mobile boarding passes. This convenience is not possible when traveling with your furry animal.

Traveling with your pet means additional time spent at the security desk while checking in. Pets do not go through x-ray machines; you will need to carry the dog through the metal detector and have the dog cage inspected separately.

To avoid last minute rush and a near-miss of your flight, arrive the airport earlier by at least one hour so you can comfortably go through these procedures without frowning.

Leash your dog
As we mentioned earlier, pets do not go through x-ray scans so you will have to remove him from the carrier for a separate inspection through the metal detector. If your pet is already showing signs of anxiety, they may attempt to make a run for it upon release from the cage. Make sure to have a leash on their collar to prevent this from happening. Besides being a total nuisance to other travelers, running after a pet across the airport is hardly something you wish to do. Tag the leash and carrier with your dog’s name on it and your contact details. You can also insert a microchip in your puppy days leading up to the journey. When traveling with your dog, planning ahead gives you ample time to research on how to travel with a dog on a plane. Make a list of luggage items for your pet and other travel companions and counter-check before leaving the house. Buckle down and enjoy a smooth flight.

ooOOoo

I asked Brenda to let us know a little about herself. This is what she said:

I’m Brenda Leary. I have a passion for dogs. My ambition is to found a community for dogaholics that everyone could share useful knowledge about dogs.

I’m here to break down all the complex dog’s tips/advices and try my best to give you the stuff that is actually useful and works!

Follow my steps at Cuddle Your Dogs to discover dogs’ daily routines, tips and advices on caring for a dog/puppy and many, many things about this wonderful world.

Picture parade one hundred and Sixty-Eight

More faces of law and order!

oooo

Many thanks to Dan for sharing these (the first set is here) and there will be more in a week’s time.

Falling for the Fall!

Thirty seconds of pure joy!

As seen recently on the Care2 site.

Published on Oct 12, 2016
If this dog doesn’t get you excited for fall, nothing will.
Video by: Maggie McCarthy
Video footage provided by: Jukin Media

Apologies for the brevity of the post; just wasn’t sure how long internet connectivity was going to last!

Can’t resist adding …

…. that when it’s wet and miserable …

and the dogs don’t want to go out to play …

… not even go out on the rear deck …

…. curling up on the settee keeping Dad company seems like the only sensible course of action!

(These photographs were taken just ten minutes ago, Brandy to my right and Cleo to my left – the rain gauge now reading 0.27 in at 11:00 PDT. With the 1 in mark being passed at 15:45 PDT!)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: